“I’m not a stupid character in a stupid book who turns into a murderer for no reason.”

This was a fun murder mystery told from the perspective of thriller authors. It is also a personal attack on Twitter which I am totally here for.

I say fun not because it’s a ‘cozy’ mystery or because it’s meant to be funny, but because it’s a great concept and format for a thriller novel:

A convention for mystery/thriller authors called Murderpalooza. A nominee for the big award is murdered at the hotel. Several other authors in attendance have a connection to the victim and all have a secret. Except someone else knows their secrets and is exposing them on Twitter.

They work together, even as they’re suspicious of each other and willing to throw each other under the bus, to solve the murder mystery story they are living, clear their names, and survive another day.

“If anyone can solve Kristin’s murder, it’s going to be thriller writers, especially once everyone finds out she had secrets. This is what we do for a living. We take something horrible happening to someone normal and create a dense backstory rife with mystery. As readers, we pick apart every breadcrumb left by the author, and nine times out of ten, we figure out the ending.”

It’s one of those stories where you feel like any of them— or none of them— could be the killer and it’s hard to feel too confident that you have it figured out!

I really liked the ending and thought this was a well-written book!

The story is told through multiple POVs by this cast of characters/suspects:

Kristin: nominee and writer from Iowa (woop woop… unfortunately Heimer, Iowa is fiction) who is stabbed at the convention; she was the secret co-author to Mike, secret lover to Vicky’s boyfriend, stalked by Suzanne, and was part of Davis’ former Midwest writing group of which another member died in a car accident

Her chapters are labeled ‘night before’ or ‘morning of the murder’ to give us more clues as to what was going on around that time.

Davis: the most talked about and sought after writer at the convention with his new bestselling, money-making book that’s sure to win the award the next year
"All I can think about are the promises Kristin and I made to each other. Does this mean I don’t have to deliver anymore?”
"Narcissism is a disease, I swear. I’m the poster boy. Although is it really narcissism if I know I have it?”

Mike: old-news author who is hoping to revamp his career with his new book he’s writing with a secret co-author (Kristin)
"The manuscript… I’m totally screwed once someone else reads it. The storyline is a little close to home… This isn’t just career suicide. This can be evidence, and evidence that does not paint me in a flattering light.”
"No one has hit on me for half a decade. That comes with being a has-been. There was that one…”

Vicky: nominee and author trying to get her agent to do more for her instead of focusing only on Davis; also has a penchant for ‘deleting’ crutch words from her thought narrative
"Now, my boyfriend’s girlfriend— also my competition— is dead, and it doesn’t look good for me.”
“Thank goodness her cell phone rings and stops the absolute rage I’m about to expel out of my wine hole.”

Suzanne: new author trying to make a name for herself and is looking forward to using her ‘friendship’ (aka obsession) with Kristin to get it
"Please don’t let this be about me and what happened this morning.”
"It’s a bad habit of mine, talking to strangers. I’m the one who becomes Instagram friends with my Uber drivers.”

The “Twitter Murder Stalker Person” (which is an amazing name for the nameless person) has all the dirt on all of them and one by one feeds the Twitter mob their confidential information turning the spotlight on them. Not to mention TMSP is threatening that one of them might be next!

How will they survive the next few days— physically and professionally?!

It was a fun and interesting world to be part of for awhile! We read all the thrillers, but who are these writers behind the books? I’m not sure how accurate it all is, but it’s interesting to get a taste of the author-world and what it might take to get a bestseller!

I was entertained by these comments, most of which are author/writing-related:

“writers have a commonly used phrase that only translates on paper: he smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. No one thinks that or says it out loud. Ever.”

“Everyone likes the splishy-splashy friend-with-a-past-secret-wrecking-everyone’s-life novel.”

“Ah. Romance. Self-publishing. The death knell in Thriller World, according to me— it’s like assuming you’re going to win an Oscar when you’re a soap opera star.”

I don’t know if this is a real sentiment of the author or not. I hope to publish a memoir someday but self-publishing may be my only option unless a publisher gives me a chance so hopefully I won’t be despised by the author community…

“His audience—older readers who like slow-burn political detective stories— is being replaced with the fast-paced beach read with a hundred twists and turns.”

Which one am I?!

“Authors ran on caffeine and self-doubt.”

“Only authors and avid readers would be able to recognize an author by face.”

I can’t recognize everyone’s face, but I could recognize James Patterson because his face looks the exact same on the back of every single one of his books. It cracks me up and I will never forget it.

The not-so-subtle jabs at Twitter were some of my favorite parts of this book! Personally, I’m not on Twitter, but I’m aware of its dangers and its mob. And this book was a good reminder of how Twitter— and social media in general— can ruin people’s lives pretty easily even, or especially, with comments that are not true. Do the work and stop believing everything you read and hear without fact-checking it first!

“Twitter. The bane of every author’s existence.”

“You know the Twitter mob, their narrative is the gold standard until enough of them jump on something else. Short memories.”

“I don’t read Book Twitter; it’s ridiculous. It’s a bunch of people puffed up on their own opinions who literally bully people into thinking like them and cancel everyone who doesn’t, instantly. They complain about people bullying others, yet don’t see the hypocrisy.”

“These people think admitting they were wrong about what they vehemently retweeted is worse than actually being wrong. So they leave it up. And they repeat it. And then it’s reality.”

“where Twitter itself proves it’s the cesspool of life. The worse of the worst go and hide behind their avatars, or whatever they’re called, and just gang up on people.”

A couple other random quotes I felt compelled to share:

Vicky has “a short-sleeved black dress— with pockets. The female holy grail.”—I couldn’t agree more with this description.

“Illinois winters are no joke, and for the first decade of my life, horrific clanking noises came from the basement whenever it snowed or the wind got out of control… everything made creepy sounds… and I was always terrified to investigate.” —- If this isn’t paying homage to Home Alone, I don’t know what is.

Recommendation

I really want to recommend this book to everyone, but my big qualm with it is that it had a lot of swearing and some crude language by a couple of the characters. If it weren’t for that, it would for sure be a must-read!

If you can get past the language, I think you’ll find you really enjoy this one!

It’s not a hard-hitting thriller, but it’s got a lot of good components: creative concept, diverse characters, red herrings, mystery, suspense, twists, some humor, a Twitter-trashing, and a good ending. It’s not going to keep you up at night but I think you’ll come away thinking- ‘That was fun to read!’

[Content Advisory: 61 f-words, 81 s-words; no sexual content but some innuendo and crude talk by a couple characters]

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

I really liked the concept of this novel but it's execution just fell short for me. None of the POVs were interesting beside they were all unlikable. There was a plot point that I felt gave away the ending too early and I only kept reading hoping that I was wrong and the author could surprise me. I was not surprised and that left me feeling disappointed.

What a fun behind-the-scenes look at Thrillerfest! Are these authors really as cliquey and judgmental as the author portrays? I'll certainly never go now!

a whodunit at a murder writers convention, genius!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the review copy.

I Didn’t Do It, by Jamie Lynn Hendricks, is a short, drama-filled thriller about a group of mystery/thriller writers who have gathered together at an annual convention called Murderpalooza in New York City. There are various panels, as well as an awards ceremony and banquet on the final day, and anybody who is anyone is there.

In this story we follow a small, motley group of authors, some newly famous, some consistently famous, some famous in the past, and some wanna-be-famous. When one of their own is murdered on the first day of the conference, each in the group begins to turn on one another. This Twitter-led conspiracy of revelations, threats and lies turns rabid as secrets are revealed and each person is focused on saving themselves.

I was utterly enticed by the premise of this story, but as the story got going, I wasn’t as invested as I’d expected. The characters were catty, self-centered, and had some pretty dark secrets they were hiding.

The twist towards the end, however, was so surprising and creative, I was pleasantly impressed. Previous questionable elements of the story made so much more sense once the reveal was made.

I Didn’t Do It is a relatively short, fast-paced, dramatic thriller. Though it wasn’t my favorite, it was pretty fun.

I Didn't Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks is a thriller set at a suspense writers' convention. When writers start being murdered, everyone is very concerned about who the next to die will be. Everyone is a suspect too. This was a fun read, with quite the twist, but I found it all pretty unbelievable. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I just love this author!
This one is about a writer’s convention. A popular up and coming author ends up dead. Everyone is a suspect. Then, messages start coming to authors at the convention…. secrets they don’t want known…. then… threats 👀
So fast paced and twisty, perfect beach read!

Out now!

Thank you @scarletsuspense @penzlerpub for the gifted eARC to read & review.

Need a new read this weekend? Look no further than I Didn’t Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks.

A murder at Murderpalooza, the thriller writers conference of the year? I’M IN.

This is one of the top mysteries I’ve read this year! It’s devious, clever and just fun.

Jaime Lynn Hendricks plots the book out so well. It’s like Agatha Christie with serious edge and lots of snark. The cast of characters are a delight to read and the writing conference setting brings its own ambiance to the story.

The book is peppered with insider snippets about the writing world. And me, being me, I was constantly guessing what real life authors may have inspired certain characters … it’s a mystery on top of a mystery!

Read this book. It’s bloody brilliant 🩸

Murderpalooza is a thriller writers conference. This year one of the authors up for the big award is found dead. Four other writers have mysterious ties to her and are being blackmailed. Is one of them next? Despite their differences, they are forced to band together to figure out who is behind this to save themselves.

Jaime Lynn Hendricks does it again! The twists, turns, and suspense in this book are so good. There is just the right amount of tension and release. The characters are all very different from each other, which keeps you interested in finding out the whole truth. The setting is also genius for a thriller novel. I won't spoil it, but I really loved the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for the ARC of this book.

A quick, easy to enjoy, suspenseful read. I have enjoyed each of Jaime’s books so far, and really look forward to the next one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an ARC of this novel!

A brilliant and often hilarious send-up of thriller writers and their myriad foibles. With a shocker of a twist. As much fun as I've ever had inside a book!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of I Didn't Do It by Jaime Lynn Hendricks.

The more I think about this book, the more I like it. If you love Scooby Doo, silly, cozy mysteries that twist and turn like a carnival ride, leaving you slightly nauseated at the end, this is it. It knows exactly what it is, and it isn't afraid to laugh at itself a bit.

Murderpalooza is the highly anticipated awards event full of the nations favorite murder mystery writers. But the whole even changes when one of the keynote speakers winds up stabbed to death in her hotel room. And we have a well laid cast of shady characters. Was it the upcoming author/playboy, so confident of his abilities with stories and the ladies. Was it a middle aged has-been staying out of the spotlight. There is also a female author who suspects that her boyfriend may have been cheating with the victim. And a newbie who has obsession issues.

See what I'm saying? If that lineup isn't chef's kiss, than I don't know what is. Pop some popcorn, and dive in!

I DIDN"T DO IT was my first book by Jamie Lynn Hendricks and I thought the premise was brilliant. Thriller authors at a mystery conference being killed off was pure genius. I thought the snarky tone of the writing wasn't overdone and I found the plot to be well-paced and thoroughly entertaining. This was a unique mystery and would make for a perfect poolside pick this summer! I am looking forward to diving into Jamie Lynn Hendricks' backlist and am excited to see what she writes next.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thoughts
This was a fast paced thriller with short action packed chapters! It was interesting to get a behind the scenes look at the life of a successful author and just how competitive their world can be.It was also interesting to see the other side of social media and the impact it can have to make or break a writer. The book has a surpWhat happens when all the best thriller writers get together at a premier writer’s conference? Why murder of course! Kristen Bailey has been found murdered in her room during the Murderpalooza, a premiere thriller writer’s conference that all the best suspense authors are attending and meant to be a celebration of the genre that honors one accomplished writer at the end. Everyone is a suspect but four of Kristen’s biggest rivals are the main focus of an investigation. These four have been targeted by an anonymous account on twitter warning them they could be next.
Each of these four have secrets and a motive:
Davis Walton is a successful writer and egomaniac. The account is questioning his involvement in the death of colleague from years before. Vicky Overton is a mildly successful author competing with Kristen for the end of the conference award. Vicky has also just discovered a connection between Kristen and her Vicky’s boyfriend Jim.
Mike Brooks is a has- been trying to reinvent himself with a new mystery writing partnere.
Susanne Shih is a newbie author and has an unhealthy obsession with Kristen.

The four of them work together to discover who is behind Kristen’s death primarily because they are trying to save themselves.
rising plot twist and satisfying ending..

I Didn’t Do It by Jamie Hendricks is a thriller about a murder that takes place at a murder/thriller writing convention, Murderpalooza. When a group of writers get together and then one ends up stabbed, it unleashes secrets amongst all the writers. When someone who seems to know all their secrets starts to text them and make a Twitter account,, everyone seems to have a motive for wanting to murder Kristin Bailey. Will they be able to figure out who is behind all the chaos before another writer dies?

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. A murder at a thriller writing convention? Sign me up!

This book is made for avid thriller readers. It is almost like a “thriller within a thriller.” All of the writers at this convention have written books just like the books that thriller readers would read. You can picture it being your own favorite writers at the convention. It was such a different element to have their inner thinkings as writers to weave the plot together.

I will say that in the beginning there were a lot of perspectives to keep up with. It took me a little bit to get a grasp for each character and how the characters were connected. Once I did, I loved the multiple perspectives and each chapter gave a little more insight into this group of writers.

This book was very fast-paced. Each chapter changes a perspective to a different character in the book which pieces together the plot of the story seamlessly. There were many different twists and turns that I did not see coming, up until the very last chapter. The last chapter was truly a shock.

I would highly recommend this thriller novel, especially to my avid thriller readers out there. I just really thought that this was different for a thriller novel and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another SMASH HIT by this amazing author. I love all her juicy drama, suspense and tense writing style. She is just the master of summer thrillers and the location/atmsophere of this one was so perfect.

Thank you to @netgalley for my advance copy!

What a fun premise! A murder at a crime fiction convention -- does it get any better? Jaime Lynn Hendricks is. a new author for me, but this certainly won't be my last read of hers. She writes with wit and verve, springing surprises on you at every turn. I saw the ending coming a little bit, but it didn't make this romp any less enjoyable.

I am so thankful to Penzler Books, Jaime Lynn Hendricks, and NetGalley for getting advanced digital and physical copies of his book before publication day. What a seriously twisted and demented tale needing to be told. I am literally living for this book.

I Didn't Do It tells the story of Mike, Davis, Suzanne, and Vicky as they are thrown together in the aftermath of a murder at Murderpalooza, a thriller writers conference. They are an unlikely grouping but something has them all being targeted by a mysterious twitter account. Who will be next?

I really enjoyed this book! For one, the pacing was phenomenal. The multiple viewpoints at the same time throughout the story really helped to place you in the middle of it. I flew through this one in 2 days for that reason. I enjoyed the characters and each of their stories. I could think of an author that, in my opinion, would be like each of the characters. The twist at the end was not on my radar at all and I thought it was unbelievably clever, All of the inside jokes and digs at certain aspects of the publishing world was really fun and I loved reading a book that was honest about the ins and outs and made it realistic for each characters specific plight. While this was not my favorite Hendricks book, it still stands on its own and is a fantastic summer read!

This was such a fun read! A bunch of thriller authors are attending a convention called Murderpalooza, and one of their own gets stabbed to death...count me in! 😀

After famous author Kristen Bailey is found murdered, four other authors are left wondering if they are going to be next after receiving threatening messages from a secret Twitter account. They each have some link to the victim, and as they try to work together to find out who the killer is, they start to suspect each other.

These characters were all so well written and interesting. I liked that we got a POV from each of them. Mike was my favorite character, maybe because he was closer to my age and seemed the most calm and level-headed.

I did guess the main twist, but I had no idea how it was going to all play out, so that was fun. However, I did not guess the twist at the end, and I thought it was great!

Thank you @netgalley, @penzlerpub and the author for the gifted e-arc of this book!